Review Tour: Reaper's Fire: Joanna Wylde
New York Times bestselling author Joanna Wylde returns to the “wild and raw”* world of the Reapers MC with the story of Gage and Tinker…
The club comes first.
I’ve lived by those words my whole life—assumed I’d die by them, too, and I never had a problem with that. My Reaper brothers took my back and I took theirs and it was enough. Then I met her. Tinker Garrett. She’s beautiful, she’s loyal, and she works so damned hard it scares me sometimes . . . She deserves a good man—one better than me. I can’t take her yet because the club still needs me. There’s another woman, another job, another fight just ahead.
Now she’ll learn I’ve been lying to her all along. None of it’s real. Not my name, not my job, not even the clothes I wear. She thinks I’m nice. She pretends we’re just friends, that I’ve still got a soul . . . Mine’s been dead for years. Now I’m on fire for this woman, and a man can only burn for so long before he destroys everything around him.
I’m coming for you, Tinker.
Soon.
Gage is undercover as Cooper Romero to infiltrate the Nighthawk Raiders to see if they are working against the Reapers. His way in is dating the president's witchy sister, Talia. He never expected to be sidelined and tempted so much by Tinker Garrett, his new landlady. She is sexy, sassy, sweet, and also his part-time boss. It is all he can do to keep his hands off her.
Tinker does not want to find Gage so attractive. But it is hard not to when he is often seen around shirtless and sweating while performing manual labor.
There are threats, danger, corruption, and suspense involved in the club business. Tinker's life is already in limbo and she has her own personal problems to deal with. She already has trust issues and pain in her past. She is a strong, independent-minded woman who has already been burned by a bossy, controlling man. How will she handle it if she finds out about Gage's lies and betrayal?
It was a little harder for me to get into this installment at first since it was a different setting away from Coeur d'Alene and the Reapers' club. But we gradually get more time with some of them. And the danger and suspense escalates not only from club business, but also crazy exes and threats of nature. So the last part of this book definitely gets more tension-filled, intense, and suspenseful. I liked that Gage and Tinker were more mature characters, and I enjoyed getting both of their points of view. I did feel like there were a few situations that are not completely tied up with some side issues, but sometimes they come back in other books. But the author also does bring us some forward momentum in the form of epilogues.
The side characters especially her tenacious best friend, Carrie, and her protective husband, Darren, added some humor and support. And there were plenty of nasty antagonists that I wanted to see get their due.
This had the alpha male, strong woman, steam, drama, and danger I have come to expect from the Reapers series. It took a bit for Gage and Tinker's story to grab me, but by the end, I was invested.
I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Gage lives for his Reaper brothers and he is currently proving just how deep his loyalties lie. Working undercover, everything about his current life is a cover. His girlfriend, his job, even his name. But he is attracted to his landlady, Tinker Garrett, and though he can’t do anything about it, he has plans for Tinker when this job is over.
Tinker Garrett thought she wanted one thing out of life, but when that perfect life turned into a farce, she returned home to care for her dad in her childhood home. She is a business owner, confident in herself, driven and comfortable in her skin (usually).
The chemistry between them is strong, despite Gage’s involvement with Talia Jackson, his target. These two are very aware of the other, though they go to great pains to maintain a distance -- Talia is not known for being subtle or kind. Tinker couldn’t be more different from Talia for many reasons, and Gage quickly realizes what his type really is.
Gage is alpha to his core. Bossy, commanding, and thoughtful about protecting what is his. And Tinker is his long before she knows it. He is careful to keep his focus on his objective, until the fire that burns between them becomes too much to fight. But even as he gives in to the attraction, he is clear about his boundaries, though maybe not about his truths.
The addition of the wildfire threat throughout the storyline is very apropos for the geographic area. Having watched my own town threatened with fires, the narrative is brutally honest about what it’s like to watch a fire spread and grow (understandable as Wylde faced the same thing while writing Reaper’s Fire). I loved the parallel between what was happening in the story as well.
There was one aspect I would have liked more resolution, but not enough that it held me back from enjoying this book. While Gage is a member of the Reapers, the previous couples are only present in the very background of this book, as the bulk of the action takes place outside of the Reaper’s territory. Picnic, Painter, Levi, and Hunter do pop in at key moments, but for the most part Gage is on his own in Hallie’s Falls.
I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.
“I can’t believe how late it is,” Tinker said, yawning, and I realized the movie had ended. Now she stretched upward, the blanket falling to her waist as her boobs pushed forward.
God, how much should a man be expected to take?
I should’ve stayed away from her completely—that’d been the plan—but something had snapped when I’d seen her out in the courtyard. Couldn’t remember the last time I’d met a woman like Tinker. She was smart and sexy and funny, and she worked damned hard to take care of her family and business. Sure, I wanted to fuck her—you’d have to be gay not to—but I respected her, too.
“I should probably get going,” she said, offering me a smile so sweet I wanted to bite her lips. “I like to check on Dad before going to sleep, and I’ve got to be up early in the morning. I’ve got to package orders for the courier tomorrow—if they aren’t ready by two p.m., I’m screwed.”
I considered rolling over on top of her. Pushing her down into the couch cushions, shoving my leg between hers, and showing her what a real man feels like.
“Cooper?” she asked, looking confused. I blinked a couple times, forcing myself to focus on her face.
“I’m going to watch another one,” I told her, because I’m a goddamn masochist. “You sure you’re ready to head out?”
She frowned, and I could almost read her thoughts. Yes, she should leave. But she wanted me as much as I wanted her. And yeah, I realize that makes me sound like an egotistical ass, but this wasn’t my first rodeo. I saw the lust in her eyes, and the way she licked her lips and stared at my mouth. This wasn’t a one-way street, not even close.
“I guess I could stay a little longer,” she whispered. Christ, she was so sweet and soft. I wanted to bite her even more now. Suck that pouty lower lip into my mouth and shove a finger up her ass.
Break her.
You’re one sick fuck.
Why yes. Yes, I am. Thanks for noticing.
I managed to control the urge, catching her hand instead, giving it a friendly squeeze like some kind of pathetic tool. Her fingers tightened on mine, then she pulled away and snuggled back down under the blanket, raising her feet to rest on the coffee table. I grabbed the remote and clicked through the menu.
Tomorrow I’d do my job. I’d fuck Talia and spy on Marsh and look for any kind of weakness that might end this situation, the faster the better. Tonight, though . . . Tonight I’d pretend this wasn’t a waste of time.
Goddamn, but my dick hurt.
The next hour was torture.
Tinker sat next to me, all cute and classy and absolutely refusing to make any kind of eye contact. I don’t know how she felt, but to me the sexual tension hanging in the air was thick and heavy. I kept thinking about her hand in mine—small, but strong. The hand of someone who knew how to work hard. So far as I knew, Talia had never held down a job, let alone supported herself.
The couch shifted, and I glanced over to find Tinker sliding deeper into the cushions, drawing the blanket up to her chin. Our legs were maybe six inches apart. She shifted again, and then her hand bumped mine under the blanket. She jerked it back quickly, and I caught the hint of a flush on her cheeks. That was another thing I liked about her—her skin was so pale that I could see every hint of arousal.
Grabbing her hand, I pulled it over to rest on my thigh. This was a really bad idea, so I pointedly refused to think it through. Her hand tensed at first, then relaxed into my strength. My cock swelled against the fabric of my jeans, just inches from her fingers—it’d be so easy to push her hand toward it, wrap it around my painfully swollen dick, and just go to town.
Tinker’s fingers gave a quick squeeze—almost more of a spasm—and I bit back a groan.
Yeah, okay. Really, really bad idea. I should get off the couch and shut this shit down right now, because I couldn’t afford to blow things with Talia just yet. Instead I found myself leaning toward Tinker, bumping shoulders.
God. I’d grown a pussy. No other explanation, because I couldn’t figure out why the hell else an adult man would sit holding hands under a damned blanket like a kid.
Gage is undercover as Cooper Romero to infiltrate the Nighthawk Raiders to see if they are working against the Reapers. His way in is dating the president's witchy sister, Talia. He never expected to be sidelined and tempted so much by Tinker Garrett, his new landlady. She is sexy, sassy, sweet, and also his part-time boss. It is all he can do to keep his hands off her.Tinker does not want to find Gage so attractive. But it is hard not to when he is often seen around shirtless and sweating while performing manual labor.
There are parallels with events that happen in Reaper's Fall with Painter. Gage's whole existence in Hallie's Falls is a cover and lies. There is a lot of confusion especially regarding his relationship with the evil Talia and the local MC. There is some definite push and pull and serious sexual tension. Tinker isn't looking for a hero, but an unlikely one infiltrates her life, but on a Harley instead of a white stead. And Gage has only ever cared about his club and did not know he was even capable of caring about anyone else.
Gage will have his work cut out for him to hold all the pieces of this complicated situation together with the least amount of fall out. And he does not only have to worry about saving a new relationship, but also about saving their lives.
It was a little harder for me to get into this installment at first since it was a different setting away from Coeur d'Alene and the Reapers' club. But we gradually get more time with some of them. And the danger and suspense escalates not only from club business, but also crazy exes and threats of nature. So the last part of this book definitely gets more tension-filled, intense, and suspenseful. I liked that Gage and Tinker were more mature characters, and I enjoyed getting both of their points of view. I did feel like there were a few situations that are not completely tied up with some side issues, but sometimes they come back in other books. But the author also does bring us some forward momentum in the form of epilogues.
The side characters especially her tenacious best friend, Carrie, and her protective husband, Darren, added some humor and support. And there were plenty of nasty antagonists that I wanted to see get their due.
Gage lives for his Reaper brothers and he is currently proving just how deep his loyalties lie. Working undercover, everything about his current life is a cover. His girlfriend, his job, even his name. But he is attracted to his landlady, Tinker Garrett, and though he can’t do anything about it, he has plans for Tinker when this job is over.Tinker Garrett thought she wanted one thing out of life, but when that perfect life turned into a farce, she returned home to care for her dad in her childhood home. She is a business owner, confident in herself, driven and comfortable in her skin (usually).
The chemistry between them is strong, despite Gage’s involvement with Talia Jackson, his target. These two are very aware of the other, though they go to great pains to maintain a distance -- Talia is not known for being subtle or kind. Tinker couldn’t be more different from Talia for many reasons, and Gage quickly realizes what his type really is.
Gage is alpha to his core. Bossy, commanding, and thoughtful about protecting what is his. And Tinker is his long before she knows it. He is careful to keep his focus on his objective, until the fire that burns between them becomes too much to fight. But even as he gives in to the attraction, he is clear about his boundaries, though maybe not about his truths.
The addition of the wildfire threat throughout the storyline is very apropos for the geographic area. Having watched my own town threatened with fires, the narrative is brutally honest about what it’s like to watch a fire spread and grow (understandable as Wylde faced the same thing while writing Reaper’s Fire). I loved the parallel between what was happening in the story as well.
There was one aspect I would have liked more resolution, but not enough that it held me back from enjoying this book. While Gage is a member of the Reapers, the previous couples are only present in the very background of this book, as the bulk of the action takes place outside of the Reaper’s territory. Picnic, Painter, Levi, and Hunter do pop in at key moments, but for the most part Gage is on his own in Hallie’s Falls.
God, how much should a man be expected to take?
I should’ve stayed away from her completely—that’d been the plan—but something had snapped when I’d seen her out in the courtyard. Couldn’t remember the last time I’d met a woman like Tinker. She was smart and sexy and funny, and she worked damned hard to take care of her family and business. Sure, I wanted to fuck her—you’d have to be gay not to—but I respected her, too.
“I should probably get going,” she said, offering me a smile so sweet I wanted to bite her lips. “I like to check on Dad before going to sleep, and I’ve got to be up early in the morning. I’ve got to package orders for the courier tomorrow—if they aren’t ready by two p.m., I’m screwed.”
I considered rolling over on top of her. Pushing her down into the couch cushions, shoving my leg between hers, and showing her what a real man feels like.
“Cooper?” she asked, looking confused. I blinked a couple times, forcing myself to focus on her face.
“I’m going to watch another one,” I told her, because I’m a goddamn masochist. “You sure you’re ready to head out?”
She frowned, and I could almost read her thoughts. Yes, she should leave. But she wanted me as much as I wanted her. And yeah, I realize that makes me sound like an egotistical ass, but this wasn’t my first rodeo. I saw the lust in her eyes, and the way she licked her lips and stared at my mouth. This wasn’t a one-way street, not even close.
“I guess I could stay a little longer,” she whispered. Christ, she was so sweet and soft. I wanted to bite her even more now. Suck that pouty lower lip into my mouth and shove a finger up her ass.
Break her.
You’re one sick fuck.
Why yes. Yes, I am. Thanks for noticing.
I managed to control the urge, catching her hand instead, giving it a friendly squeeze like some kind of pathetic tool. Her fingers tightened on mine, then she pulled away and snuggled back down under the blanket, raising her feet to rest on the coffee table. I grabbed the remote and clicked through the menu.
Tomorrow I’d do my job. I’d fuck Talia and spy on Marsh and look for any kind of weakness that might end this situation, the faster the better. Tonight, though . . . Tonight I’d pretend this wasn’t a waste of time.
Goddamn, but my dick hurt.
The next hour was torture.
Tinker sat next to me, all cute and classy and absolutely refusing to make any kind of eye contact. I don’t know how she felt, but to me the sexual tension hanging in the air was thick and heavy. I kept thinking about her hand in mine—small, but strong. The hand of someone who knew how to work hard. So far as I knew, Talia had never held down a job, let alone supported herself.
The couch shifted, and I glanced over to find Tinker sliding deeper into the cushions, drawing the blanket up to her chin. Our legs were maybe six inches apart. She shifted again, and then her hand bumped mine under the blanket. She jerked it back quickly, and I caught the hint of a flush on her cheeks. That was another thing I liked about her—her skin was so pale that I could see every hint of arousal.
Grabbing her hand, I pulled it over to rest on my thigh. This was a really bad idea, so I pointedly refused to think it through. Her hand tensed at first, then relaxed into my strength. My cock swelled against the fabric of my jeans, just inches from her fingers—it’d be so easy to push her hand toward it, wrap it around my painfully swollen dick, and just go to town.
Tinker’s fingers gave a quick squeeze—almost more of a spasm—and I bit back a groan.
Yeah, okay. Really, really bad idea. I should get off the couch and shut this shit down right now, because I couldn’t afford to blow things with Talia just yet. Instead I found myself leaning toward Tinker, bumping shoulders.
God. I’d grown a pussy. No other explanation, because I couldn’t figure out why the hell else an adult man would sit holding hands under a damned blanket like a kid.
Add to Goodreads
Marie doesn’t need a complication like Horse. The massive, tattooed, badass biker who shows up at her brother’s house one afternoon doesn’t agree. He wants Marie on his bike and in his bed. Now.
But Marie just left her abusive jerk of an ex-husband and she’s not looking for a new man. Especially one like Horse—she doesn’t know his real name or where he lives, she’s ninety percent certain he’s a criminal and that the “business” he talks with her brother isn’t website design. She needs him out of her life, which would be a snap if he’d just stop giving her mind-blowing orgasms.
Horse is part of the Reapers Motorcycle Club, and when he wants something, he takes it. What he wants is Marie, but she’s not interested in becoming “property of”.
Then her brother steals from the club. Marie can save him by giving Horse what he wants—at home, in public, on his bike… If she’s a very, very good girl, she’ll get lots more of those orgasms only he can offer, and he’ll let her brother live.
Maybe.
Reaper's Property Sale
Meet Horse & Marie for ONLY $3.99 (normally $7.99)
Author’s Note: This book was originally released through a small publisher in 2013. This independent edition has been lightly edited, and contains a bonus short, “Sticky Sweet” (originally published on the author’s website) and a Q&A with the author.
Add to Goodreads
Our 4.5 star reviews
WELCOME TO THE CLUB
Eight years ago, Sophie gave her heart—and her virginity—to Zach Barrett on a night that couldn’t have been less romantic or more embarrassing. Zach’s step-brother, a steely-muscled, tattooed biker named Ruger, caught them in the act, getting a peep show of Sophie he’s never forgotten.
She may have lost her dignity that fateful night, but Sophie also gained something precious—her son Noah. Unfortunately, Zach’s a deadbeat dad, leaving Ruger to be Noah’s only male role model. When he discovers Sophie and his nephew living in near poverty, Ruger takes matters into his own hands—with the help of the Reapers Motorcycle Club—to give them a better life.
Living with outlaw bikers wasn’t Sophie’s plan for her son, but Ruger isn’t giving her a choice. He’ll be there for Noah, whether she wants him or not. But Sophie does want him, has always wanted him. Now she’ll learn that taking a biker to bed can get a girl dirty in every way…
Devil's Game (Reapers MC #3)
Add to Goodreads
Liam “Hunter” Blake hates the Reapers MC. Born and raised a Devil’s Jack, he knows his duty. He’ll defend his club from their oldest enemies—the Reapers—using whatever weapons he can find. But why use force when the Reapers’ president has a daughter who’s alone and vulnerable? Hunter has wanted her from the minute he saw her, and now he has an excuse to take her.
Em has lived her entire life in the shadow of the Reapers. Her overprotective father, Picnic, is the club’s president. The last time she had a boyfriend, Picnic shot him. Now the men in her life are far more interested in keeping her daddy happy than showing her a good time. Then she meets a handsome stranger—a man who isn't afraid to treat her like a real woman. One who isn't afraid of her father. His name is Liam, and he’s The One.
Or so she thinks.
Add to Goodreads
As Reapers Motorcycle Club president, Reese “Picnic” Hayes has given his entire life to the club. After losing his wife, he knew he’d never love another woman. And with two daughters to raise and a club to manage, that was just fine with him. These days, Reese keeps his relationships free and easy—he definitely doesn’t want to waste his time on a glorified cleaning lady like London Armstrong.
Too bad he’s completely obsessed with her.
Besides running her own business, London’s got her junkie cousin’s daughter to look after—a more reckless than average eighteen-year-old. Sure she’s attracted to the Reapers’ president, but she’s not stupid. Reese Hayes is a criminal and a thug. But when her young cousin gets caught up with a ruthless drug cartel, Reese might be the only man who can help her. Now London has to make the hardest decision of her life—how far will she go to save her family?
Reaper's Fall (Reapers MC #5)
Add to Goodreads
Reaper's Fall (Reapers MC #5)Add to Goodreads
He never meant to hurt her.
Levi “Painter” Brooks was nothing before he joined the Reapers motorcycle club. The day he patched in, they became his brothers and his life. All they asked in return was a strong arm and unconditional loyalty—a loyalty that’s tested when he’s caught and sentenced to prison for a crime committed on their behalf.
Melanie Tucker may have had a rough start, but along the way she’s learned to fight for her future. She’s escaped from hell and started a new life, yet every night she dreams of a biker whose touch she can’t forget. It all started out so innocently—just a series of letters to a lonely man in prison. Friendly. Harmless. Safe.
Now Painter Brooks is coming home… and Melanie’s about to learn that there’s no room for innocence in the Reapers MC.
Joanna Wylde Website/Facebook/Twitter/newsletter
Joanna Wylde is a New York Times bestselling author and creator of the Reapers Motorcycle Club series. She currently lives in Idaho.
0 comments